Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin USDA Native Status: L48 (NI), AK (I), CAN (I), GL (N?), SPM (I) A tall, erect, hairy, branching plant with glossy yellow flowers. This European introduction is one of our tallest and most common Buttercups. It thrives best in moist sites. The distinctive, shiny, waxy texture of Buttercup petals is caused by a special layer of cells just beneath the surface cells. As the species name implies, the juice from stems and leaves is acrid, discouraging browsing animals, and favoring the spread of the plant. Swamp Buttercup, Ranunculus hispidus Michx. var. nitidus Spring to Early Summer Flowering Species notes: Both Swamp Buttercup (the older R. septentrionalis) and Hispid Buttercup have almost the same characteristics except for the amount of long spreading hair on the stems and the preference for location. Most sources such as Flora of North America and the Minnesota plant lists of the DNR and the U of M Herbarium now combine these plants into R. hispidus.

Swamp Buttercup is a native perennial forb growing on stems are 6 inches high and up to 36 inches long, hairy and sprawl as the season progresses. They can then root at the stem nodes. Leaves are both basal and stem with about the same shape. Basal leaves are deeply divided 3-parted dark green leaflets; each leaflet has lobes cut or toothed; the terminal segment of the leaflet is stalked, the laterals are sessile. Basal leaves are the largest, up to 3 inches long plus the stalk. Stem leaves are alternate. Leaves on the flower stem are simpler, sometimes just 3 linear leaflets. The inflorescence consists of solitary flowers, rising from the upper leaf axils, that are very conspicuous over the dark green leaves.

The Flowers are up to 1/2 to 1 inch wide, with 5 to 8 yellow petals and normally have 5 lance-shaped, spreading to reflexed sepals that are reflexed 1 mm above base and that have fine hair; the petals are widest above the middle with rounded tips and are either the same length or up to 2x as long as the sepals; stamens are numerous and surround a yellowish-green receptacle of numerous pistils, which lack styles. The base of the petals changes in color to a translucent yellow-green with fine dark green lines that act as nectar guides for the insects. The flower stalk, receptacle and the sepals are hairy. Seed: Fertile receptacles elongate and produce flattened dry achenes with a lance-shaped beak. The margin of the achene forms a narrow rib 0.4-1.2 mm broad. Varieties: There are three currently recognized varieties of R. hispidus - see notes following the photos. Toxic: The plant has hazardous elements - see notes below. Habitat: Buttercups comprise about 275 different species. With it's golden-yellow flowers with shining petals, R.

hsipidus grows on the bog path in the Woodland Garden. A plant of semi-moist areas and rich loamy soils, it needs dappled sunlight in spring during flowering and then the leaves remain over summer in the shade. Roots are fibrous, without tubers. Plants that were formerly classified as R. septentrionalis are usually found in more moist soil. Names: The generic name Ranunculus, is from two Latin words, 'rana' meaning ' frog' and 'unculus' meaning 'little' and together they refer to a group of plants, many of which grow in moist places - like little frogs. The species, hispidus, means 'with fine hair'. The variety name, nitidus, is from the Latin word niteō, meaning 'to shine'. The family name of Buttercup, used to be "Crowfoot', hence the continuation of the old name in many of the species common names. The author name for the plant classification - “Michx.” is for Andre Michaux (1746-1802), French botanist who made many exploring expeditions in the U.S. collecting and cataloging many species.

His notes were later used by his son, Francois, who with Thomas Nuttall published the multi-volume North American Sylva. Common Names: Some of the Buttercups have assumed the same common name as others of the genus. R. hispidus is variously listed as Swamp Buttercup, Hispid Buttercup, Bristly Buttercup and Rough Buttercup. Bristly Buttercup is also applied to R. pensylvanicus. Best to stick with the scientific name. Comparisons: Here are a few other buttercups for comparison. Kidney-leaf Buttercup , R. abortivus; Cursed Crowfoot , R. sceleratus; Tall Buttercup , R. acris; Hooked Crowfoot , R. recurvatus. See bottom of page for notes on the Garden's planting history, distribution in Minnesota and North America, lore and other references. Above: Note that some flowers have more than 5 petals. Drawing from Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.

Below: 1st photo - Prior to flower maturity - The stamens have yet to extend, surrounding the green carpels in the center. Note the translucent yellow-green bases of the petals which act as nectar guides for insects to reach the nectaries at the bottom of the petals. Below: 1st photo - The spreading sepals with their fine coat of hair. 2nd photo - A 3-parted basal leaf with the deeply divided leaflets. 3rd photo - Stems have fine hair. Notes: Notes: Eloise Butler first recorded Swamp Buttercup in the Garden when she noted it in bloom on April 2, 1910. She listed an old synonym for this plant of R. septentrionalis. This plant was listed on Martha Crone's 1951 inventory of plants in the Garden at that time and on later census reports. There are two closely related varieties considered native to Minnesota: The species detailed above and Ranunculus hispidus Michx. var. caricetorum is the other. The difference is mainly in the seed and the sepals: var.

caricetorum has sepals spreading or reflexed from the base and achene margins 0.1-0.2 mm broad; whereas var. nitidus has sepals reflexed 1 mm just above the base and achenes with margins 0.4-1.2 mm broad. Both of these varieties can root at the stem nodes. The third variety, not found in Minnesota, is var hispidus whose stems are not decumbent and do not root at the nodes. Native populations overlap in a number of Minnesota counties, including Hennepin where the Garden is located. Native to fewer than 30 counties, mainly in the southern half of Minnesota, var. nitidus has less distribution that var. caricetorum. Var. nitidus is native to the eastern half of the U.S., and Manitoba and Ottawa. R. hispidus is one of 16 buttercup species found in Minnesota. Toxicity: Many of the species of Ranunculus are poisonous and will severely irritate the skin. If taken internally the plant can cause stomach inflammation. Cattle can be affected if they eat the plant. When the plant is dried, however, the poisonous material evaporates.

Bees have been poisoned when they pick up pollen from Ranunculus species. - see this article on bees - pdf. Legend: The legend of this plant family is this: Ranunculus, a Libyan boy who sang very beautifully, always wore green and gold silk. While singing in the woods, wood nymphs heard him and to get some peace and quiet, they turned him into a green and gold flower. Eloise Butler Notes: On April 30, 1911 , Eloise Butler published an article in Minneapolis Sunday Tribune in which she discussed Buttercups. Here is what she wrote: "A number of the early flowering plants are members of the crowfoot family [Ranunculaceae -in current times this family is now called the Buttercup Family], [such] as the anemones and buttercups. In the divided leaves of a crowfoot, as some of the buttercups are called, the early botanists saw a resemblance to a bird’s foot. The buttercups of Minnesota are not so much in evidence as the tall European buttercup [Ranunculus acris L.] the pest of the hay fields - farther east.

One early species, Ranunculus abortivus, [Littleleaf Buttercup] has so small a flower that a novice would scarcely notice it, and is surprised to hear it named a buttercup. Neither would a child be likely to apply the time-worn test of holding the flower to your face to learn if you love butter. This lowly buttercup [her text omits the common name] blooms sparsely on the prairie with the pasque flower. The specific name rhomboideus [prairie buttercup] indicates the shape of the leaf. The low, tufted R. fascicularis [early buttercup] has a larger flower, but is not conspicuously massed. Our two prettiest buttercups are aquatics - one with shining, yellow petals; the other with smaller white flowers and long, railing stems; and both bearing finely dissected leaves. The large Crowfoot family is without strongly marked characters.

Its plants have usually an acrid taste; the leaves are generally more or less cut or divided; the corolla is often wanting, and, when this is the case, the calyx is colored like a corolla; the stamens are numerous; the pistils vary in number from one to several; and all the parts of the flower are distinct or unconnected." References and site links US Wildflower - Littleleaf Buttercup, Littleleaf Crowfoot - Ranunculus abortivus Littleleaf Buttercup, Littleleaf Crowfoot - Ranunculus abortivus Genus Common Name: Buttercup Native Status: Native Ranunculus abortivus - Littleleaf Buttercup, Littleleaf Crowfoot. I may not be putting too many Buttercup (genus Ranunculus) species here on USWildflowers.com. It's not that I don't run across them often; it's just that with the number of different species - the USDA lists 93 species in the United States - and with many species looking very similar to others in the genus, it takes a lot of effort and research to narrow it down to a specific species. This one, for example, I've been working on off and on for nearly a year.

I originally thought it was the native Hooked Buttercup (Ranunculus recurvatus.) But then I noticed the achene beak on the plant I was researching was not nearly long enough to be Hooked Buttercup. My next choice was an introduced species, Smallflower Buttercup (Ranunculus parviflorus) which has a hooked beak on the achene, but much shorter than in R. recurvatus. However, R. parviflorus has a hispid (bristly-hairy) stem; the plant I was working on has a glabrous (hairless) stem. I finally settled on the native Buttercup Ranunculus abortivus - Littleleaf Buttercup. They may have been other, similar small-flowered Buttercups that I eliminated because they aren't found in northwest Georgia, so if you're trying to identify one outside that area, this might not be your species. But if you call it a Hooked Buttercup, who's going to argue with you?

Ranunculus abortivus is found in all but six states: AK, AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY Leave comments on Ranunculus abortivus at this link. Distribution of Ranunculus abortivus in the United States and Canada: Blue=Native; Grey=Introduced Map from USDA Plants Database: USDA, NRCS. 2009. The PLANTS Database ( , 18 Jan 2017). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. Search Our Database : Enter any portion of the Scientific, Common Name, or both.

Scientific name: Common name: Example: Enter "lob" in the common name field and you'll get all our species that have "lobelia" in the common name, as well as "sharp-lobed hepatica". Do a general Google search of the entire site: Like us on Facebook Nikon D7000 Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro Littleleaf Buttercup normally has 5 glossy yellow petals. This blossom appears to have 6, but the extra one might be one of the normally greenish sepals. Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2012-March-03 Photographer: Gerald C Williamson Nikon D7000 The achenes of several Buttercups have hooked beaks. Most are relatively short, as shown here. Ranunculus abortivus is quite similar to Hooked Buttercup (R. recurvatus) except the beak in Hooked Buttercup is much longer, giving the head a very bristly appearance.

Click on the photo for a larger image Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2012-March-03 Photographer: Gerald C Williamson Nikon D7000 Ranunculus abortivus has few stem leaves, and small flowers with small yellow petals. The plant has a smooth, branching stem, with a few bracts. There are several varieties of R. abortivus, with one of the differences in the varieties being the shape of the leafy bracts on the stems. This one is of the variety with deeply divided lobes in the upper bracts. Click on the photo for a larger image Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2012-March-03 Photographer: Gerald C Williamson Nikon D7000 The rosette of basal leaves are typically crenate, but this one is unusually lobed for Ranunculus abortivus. R. parviflorus is much more likely to have basal leaves that are deeply lobed.

Click on the photo for a larger image Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2012-March-24 Photographer: Gerald C Williamson Nikon D7000 This is the more normal shape of the basal leaf on Littleleaf Buttercup. The basal rosette shows up in spring before the stem, and it can be easily confused with the leaves of a violet growing in your yard. Click on the photo for a larger image References used for identification and information: Ranunculus acris – Meadow Buttercup | Wild Flowers | Species | Emorsgate Seeds – (01553) 829 028 You are here: Home › Species › Wild Flowers › Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris – Meadow Buttercup The tallest and most elegant of our common buttercups, this plant sometimes reaches a height of 90cm. It is distinguishable from the ubiquitous Creeping buttercup by its lower leaves. In both plants the leaves are deeply cut into lobes (normally five in Meadow buttercup and three in Creeping buttercup) but in Creeping buttercup the middle lobes are stalked.

The other common buttercup, Bulbous buttercup, is different from both these species in having down-turned sepals (see photograph for Bulbous buttercup). Flowering occurs from April to October. Type Order this species Habitat Information This native winter-green perennial is found on most grazed or cut grasslands throughout Britain, but has a preference for moist soils and is sometimes replaced by Bulbous buttercup on drier sites. This is can be clearly seen on some old ridge and furrow grasslands where Bulbous buttercup is found growing on the ridges and Meadow buttercup in the furrows. Growing Information Easily established from seed sown in the autumn or spring. Ordering You can order any quantity of this species from 1g up to 2000g. Please contact us if you require more. Enter desired amount in grams (g) nb: 1kg = 1000g, 0.1kg = 100g Prices include p&p to most mainland destinations, more on delivery charges . Cursed Crowfoot, Ranunculus sceleratus L.

Late Summer to early Autumn Cursed Crowfoot is a native erect annual or short-lived perennial, growing on stout, hollow, smooth stems to 20 inches high, with branching near the top and rooting at the base of the stem. Two varieties exist, photos below are of R. sceleratus var. multifidus. The leaves are both basal and stem, both similar in shape but the upper leaves much smaller. Leaves are kidney shaped with 3 to 5 palmate lobes, ranging from shallow to deep on the basal leaves. The margins of the lobes have large blunt teeth or secondary lobes. Basal leaves and stem leaves are stalked, with the stem leaves, being alternate, and having more slender lobes, whereas smaller leaves are on the flowering stems and are usually sessile with just 3 linear lobes. All leaves are smooth, green and fleshy. Inflorescence: Flowers are usually solitary and stalked at the tip of stems.

The flowers are 5-parted, about 1/3 inch across, with 3 to 5 (usually 5) yellow petals with rounded tips, 3 to 5 yellow green sepals with triangular tips that are at least as long as the petals, if not slightly longer, but they bend downward. Stamens number 10 to many, have yellow anthers, and surround the green receptacle composed of numerous pistils without styles. The nectaries of the flower are right on the base of the petals. The central receptacle elongates at maturity as the petals drop away. Sepals are not persistent. Seed: Fertile flowers produce a cluster of dry brown achenes on the elongated central receptacle that are flat, smooth and kidney shaped with a short triangular beak. [in var. sceleratus the seeds have transverse wrinkles] Toxic: Plants of the Ranunculus genus are hazardous. See notes below. Habitat: Buttercups comprise about 275 different species. Cursed Crowfoot grows in rich moist soil of marshes, swamps, ditches, preferring shallow standing water in full sun rooting from the stem base.

Names: The generic name Ranunculus, is from two Latin words, 'rana' meaning ' frog' and 'unculus' meaning 'little' and together they refer to a group of plants, many of which grow in moist places - like little frogs. The species, sceleratus, is Latin for 'cursed' and probably was used to describe this species as it is one of the most dangerous of the genus. See below. 'Celery-leaf' comes from the shape of the lower leaves. The family name of Buttercup, used to be "Crowfoot', hence the continuation of the old name in many of the species common names. The author name for the plant classification, 'L.' refers to Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), Swedish botanist and the developer of the binomial nomenclature of modern taxonomy. Comparisons: While the leaves of this species are quite recognizable, here are a few other buttercups for comparison: Kidney-leaf Buttercup , R. abortivus; Swamp Buttercup , R. hispidus; Tall Buttercup , R. acris; Hooked Crowfoot , R. recurvatus.

See bottom of page for notes on the Garden's planting history, distribution in Minnesota and North America, lore and other references. Above and Below: Cursed Crowfoot will grow in standing water. Note the stout stem and fleshy leaves. The flower head. Note the sepals bend downward but are not reflexed. The green carpels in the center form the seeds. Drawing above from Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Below: 1st photo - The lower leaf from which the alternate common name of "Celery-leaf" Buttercup is obtained. 2nd photo - The elongated heads forming seeds. Note the upper leaves are merely linear. Notes: Notes: Cursed Crowfoot is considered a native plant, although it is also present in much of the rest of the world. In North America it is found throughout the continent except the Canadian Provinces of Nunavut and Labrador. In Minnesota it is widespread, with the counties not reporting it mostly in the NE section.

Two varieties are noted by the DNR and the U of M Herbarium as being present in Minnesota: var. multifidus where the seeds are smooth and the leaf blades are always parted with the segments lobed or parted and var. sceleratus where the seeds have transverse wrinkles and the leaf blades are lobed and may be parted but the segments are undivided or lobed. The MN DNR does not break down location by variety. R. sceleratus is one of 16 buttercup species found in Minnesota. The photos above are of var. multifidus. Toxicity: R. sceleratus has acrid and poisonous juices which can be fatal to browsing animals in the spring when the leaves are young and they eat a lot of them causing inflammation of the mouth and digestive tract. The foliage, if bruised and applied to the skin will raise blisters and sores that are not easy to heal. Mrs Grieve (Ref. #7) notes that if the plant is boiled in water, the distillation is quite acrid and as it cools, crystals are deposited which are inflammable. However, the boiled plant material looses its dangerous properties. Fernald (Ref.

#6) writes that European authors have noted that in times past when food was scarce, R. sceleratus would be eaten as a spinach, being careful to first boil it in water and pour off the water which had extracted the acrid principal, anemonol. But "only in an emergency would one try it." [Note: Anemonol breaks down into the toxin protoanemonin, which has been said to poison bees that pick up pollen from Ranunculus species. - see this article on bees - pdf. and this article on Ranunculin and Anemonol - pdf ]. It has also been reported that the Thompson Indians as a poison for their arrow points (D. E. Moerman 1986). Legend: The legend of this plant family is this: Ranunculus, a Libyan boy who sang very beautifully, always wore green and gold silk. While singing in the woods, wood nymphs heard him and to get some peace and quiet, they turned him into a green and gold flower.

Eloise Butler wrote the following about Buttercups: "A number of the early flowering plants are members of the crowfoot family [Ranunculaceae -in current times this family is now called the Buttercup Family], [such] as the anemones and buttercups. In the divided leaves of a crowfoot, as some of the buttercups are called, the early botanists saw a resemblance to a bird’s foot. The buttercups of Minnesota are not so much in evidence as the tall European buttercup [Ranunculus acris L.] the pest of the hay fields - farther east. One early species, Ranunculus abortivus, [Littleleaf Buttercup] has so small a flower that a novice would scarcely notice it, and is surprised to hear it named a buttercup. Neither would a child be likely to apply the time-worn test of holding the flower to your face to learn if you love butter. This lowly buttercup [her text omits the common name] blooms sparsely on the prairie with the pasque flower. The specific name rhomboideus [prairie buttercup] indicates the shape of the leaf. The low, tufted R.

fascicularis [early buttercup] has a larger flower, but is not conspicuously massed. Our two prettiest buttercups are aquatics - one with shining, yellow petals; the other with smaller white flowers and long, railing stems; and both bearing finely dissected leaves. The large Crowfoot family is without strongly marked characters.

Its plants have usually an acrid taste; the leaves are generally more or less cut or divided; the corolla is often wanting, and, when this is the case, the calyx is colored like a corolla; the stamens are numerous; the pistils vary in number from one to several; and all the parts of the flower are distinct or unconnected." Published April 30, 1911, Minneapolis Sunday Tribune [Entire Article] References and site links A Close-up View of Three Buttercups A Close-up View of Three Buttercups Common (Meadow) Buttercup Ranunculus acris Swamp (Marsh) Buttercup Ranunculus septentrionalis Kidneyleaf Buttercup Ranunculus abortivus by Brian Johnston (Canada) All three of the buttercups discussed in this article grow near the edge of a stream which flows through a park in my neighbourhood. (The genus name Ranunculus translated from the Latin means ï¿½little frogï¿½. Like frogs, buttercup species live near the water.) The common buttercup is found some distance from the stream, while the other two species grow close to the waterï¿½s edge.

All buttercups possess distinctively shiny, rather waxy looking, bright yellow petals. This phenomenon is due to a special layer of reflective cells beneath the petalsï¿½ surface cells. As you will no doubt notice from the images that follow, this distinctive appearance depends very much on the angle between the light source, the flower, and the eye (or camera lens). Common (Meadow) Buttercup Ranunculus acris The species name acris was given due to the fact that the stems and leaves of the plant contain an ï¿½acridï¿½ poisonous juice which protects the plant from herbivorous animals. Common buttercup flowers possess five petals, and have a diameter of about three centimetres. The plant itself can be up to a metre in height, and has a rather thin stem. Flower petals may bend down (convex) at the edge as in the first image, or up (concave) as in the second. It is difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish between common and swamp buttercup by observing the flowers. They are, for all intents and purposes, identical. What distinguishes the two species is a small difference in the stem leaves.

Each of the three-lobed subdivided segments is joined to others without stalks. As you will see in the next section, swamp buttercup leaves have a similar structure, but the segments are joined together by short stalks. The two images that follow show stalkless common buttercup leaves. Notice, in the image of a bud shown below, the hairless stem, and the five green, extremely hairy, sepals (modified leaves) that surround the bright yellow petals. (The ring of sepals is called the calyx of the flower.) When the flower first opens, the centre is filled by rings of bright yellow stamens . The image on the right shows that each anther (male pollen producing organ) has a deep vertical groove on its surface. Notice the many pollen grains that are present on the petalsï¿½ surfaces. Over a several day period, the stamens grow in length and separate. The thin stalks (filaments) that support the anthers become visible. At the centre of the flower, a round mass of light green pistils and their attached immature ovaries is revealed.

Just above the surface of the petals, there is a ring of unusually shaped stamens which possess no anther grooves, and have thicker filaments. At the base of each petal, close to the mound of green pistils, there is a reservoir which contains the flowerï¿½s nectar. When bees and flies alight on the centre of the flower to obtain the nectar, they cannot help but pick up a coating of pollen, which can then be transferred to another flower. This results in cross-pollination. Often, however, such insects disturb the anthers, and pollen falls onto the pistils of the same flower. This results in self-fertilization which is less advantageous to the plant. Since the number of pistils in a buttercup flower is large, the chance of all of them being self-fertilized is not great. The photomicrograph below shows a single anther, with its two lobes separated by a (lighter) groove. A stub of the filament can be seen at its base. Side views taken at two different magnifications reveal the many almost spherical pollen grains that coat the surface.

Removal of a flowerï¿½s petals, and upper layer of stamens allows a better view of the central mass of pistils, and attached ovaries. Under the microscope, the inverted comma shape of each of the pistils can be seen clearly. Each pistil has a pollen covered stigma (female pollen accepting organ), a thick supporting style, and an egg-shaped ovary. Viewed from above, (again under the microscope), the tops of a number of stigmas are covered in pollen. Here is a single pistil with its yellow pollen coated stigma, darker green style, and lighter yellow-green ovary chamber. Higher magnification of the pistil in the image above shows cellular detail at the edge of the ovary (left), and the curled tip of the stigma (right). Buttercup pollen grains are only roughly spherical in shape. They possess none of the interesting detail of many other wildflower species. Swamp (Marsh) Buttercup Ranunculus septentrionalis The image above, and the two higher magnification views that follow, show the flower of this species to be identical to that of the common buttercup.

The photographs show a newly opened flower with its many stamens packed closely together in the centre of the flower, completely obscuring the group of pistils beneath. The only observable difference between the two species can be seen below. In swamp buttercup, the leaf segments are joined together by short stalks. (Compare this image with the ones earlier to see the difference.) Like the earlier species, this one has intensely hairy sepals clasping the unopened budï¿½s petals. Both front and reverse views of a flower can be seen below. In the left image, note the round blister-like formation on the top right petal. These are common in buttercup flowers. (I suspect that the upper layer of cells has become detached from the base layer for some reason.) In the right image, you can see the five sepals which line up with the overlaps of the petals. Two additional images, using higher magnification, show the large number of stamens arranged in rings at the flowerï¿½s centre. Kidneyleaf Buttercup Ranunculus abortivus This species is quite different in appearance. The flowers are much smaller, 6 to 8 mm in diameter.

The species name abortivus refers to this diminished petal size. The petals do not overlap, and there are fewer stamens than in the other species. The leaves at the base (basal leaves) are kidney-shaped, giving the plant its common name. The stem leaves are unstalked and divided into 3 to 5 lobes. Notice in the images that follow, the striking ellipsoidal (egg-shaped) group of central pistils. In the second image, fine yellow pollen grains can be seen clinging to the upper surfaces of the stigmas. Both sepals and petals fall from the flower about the same time, leaving a cluster of carpels (immature seeds - better referred to as achenes). Eventually, the cluster elongates to an ovoid shape about 6 mm in length. Yellow is a common wildflower colour. Buttercup flowers have ï¿½value-addedï¿½ with their dazzlingly shiny surfaces and beautiful structure.

Photographic Equipment Two-thirds of the photographs in the article were taken with an eight megapixel Sony CyberShot DSC-F 828 equipped with achromatic close-up lenses (Canon 250D, Nikon 5T, 6T, Sony VCL-M3358, and shorter focal length achromat) used singly or in combination. The lenses screw into the 58 mm filter threads of the camera lens. (These produce a magnification of from 0.5X to 10X for a 4x6 inch image.) Still higher magnifications were obtained by using a macro coupler (which has two male threads) to attach a reversed 50 mm focal length f 1.4 Olympus SLR lens to the F 828. (The magnification here is about 14X for a 4x6 inch image.) The remainder of the photographs were taken with an eight megapixel Canon 20D DSLR equipped with a Canon EF 100 mm f 2.8 Macro lens. The photomicrographs were taken with a Leitz SM-Pol microscope (using a dark ground condenser), and the Coolpix 4500.

References The following references have been found to be valuable in the identification of wildflowers, and they are also a good source of information about them. Dickinson, Timothy, et al. 2004. The ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario. Royal Ontario Museum & McClelland and Stewart Ltd, Toronto, Canada. Thieret, John W. et al. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers - Eastern Region. 2002. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. (Chanticleer Press, Inc. New York) Kershaw, Linda. 2002. Ontario Wildflowers. Lone Pine Publishing, Edmonton, Alberta,Canada. Royer, France and Dickinson, Richard. 1999. Weeds of Canada. University of Alberta Press and Lone Pine Publishing, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Crockett, Lawrence, J. 2003. A Field Guide to Weeds (Based on Wildly Successful Plants, 1977) Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. New York, NY. Mathews, Schuyler F. 2003.

A Field Guide to Wildflowers (Adapted from Field Book of American Wildflowers, 1902), Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. New York, NY. Barker, Joan. 2004. The Encyclopedia of North American Wildflowers. Parragon Publishing, Bath, UK. All comments to the author Brian Johnston are welcomed. Ranunculaceae: Buttercup Family. Identify plants and flowers. Ranunculaceae Plants of the Buttercup Family The Buttercup family is like a window back in time. None of today's species were around 100 million years ago, but the Buttercups and other primitive groups like the Magnolias have retained the most ancestral characteristics over time. The Buttercups are considered very "simple" because the floral parts-the petals, sepals, stamens and pistils-are all of an indefinite number and separate from one another. Also, the stamens and pistils are spirally inserted in a cone-like receptacle, although it is often very small to see. More advanced plant families have reduced, more specific numbers of floral parts, and the parts are often fused together.

The Buttercup family may be considered "simple" from an evolutionary standpoint, but it includes some flowers that are highly complex in appearance, such as the delphinium and columbine. Yet these flowers are still considered "simple" because all the parts are independently attached. You may discover that the most common pattern of the family is the apparent lack of a pattern! Buttercups can have either regular or irregular flowers with anywhere from 3 to 15 sepals, often colored like petals, and 0 to 23 actual petals. There are often, but not always, numerous stamens and 3- to numerous simple pistils (apocarpous). The floral parts are all independently attached below a superior ovary. Most have bisexual flowers, except some species of meadow rue (Thalictrum) and Clematis. Worldwide, there are 35-70 genera in the Buttercup family and about 2,000 species. Twenty-three genera are found in North America. For the purposes of identification, the most accurate pattern to look for is the multiple simple pistils at the center of the flower.

In more advanced plant families there is typically only one pistil, the result of a reduction in numbers along with the fusion of several pistils to make a single compound pistil. A flower with multiple pistils is very likely a Buttercup, but could potentially be confused with species from the Rose subfamily of the Rose Family . A secondary pattern that is often easier to see, but not as consistent, is the hooked tips on the pistils. If you are not sure if you are looking at several separate pistils or some that are only partially fused together, then look for a hook at the tip of the pistil. Many species have hooked pistils, and the hooks often persist as the ovary matures after pollination. The predominant property in the plants of the Buttercup family is an acrid protoanemonin glycoside oil. Most of the species are listed as poisonous, but most are safe to taste. The buttercup taste is biting and acrid, stronger in some plants than others. Taste it and spit it out. The acrid properties of the buttercups are unstable and are destroyed by drying or cooking, so the very mild buttercups are edible as salad greens or pot herbs.

But be careful not to over do even these, as the residual acrid properties may cause a mild inflammation of the kidneys or liver. Mucilaginous plants can be ingested to counter-effect the acrid buttercups. Medicinally, the acrid nature of the plants makes them great for stimulating poultices, similar to a "mustard plaster". These poultices can be used on bruises, aches or arthritis to stimulate healing activity inside, but be careful, because the poultices can cause blistering if left in place too long. The poultice can even stimulate activity in cases of mild paralysis. The acrid quality is also beneficial for getting rid of lice. Goldenseal (Hydrastis) is a popular medicinal herb from this family. It is favored for the very bitter and highly antiseptic berberine alkaloid, also found in a few related genera and in the Barberry Family . WARNING: A number of plants in this family, especially Aconitum and Delphinium contain concentrations of toxic terpenoid alkaloids. These alkaloids depress the central nervous system; they are often used for nervous disorders, antispasmodics and sedatives.

Some of these plants can be cautiously used internally (by professionals only!) as heart and respiratory sedatives. Key Words: Dicot flowers with three or more simple pistils, often with hooked tips. Please e-mail Thomas J. Elpel to report mistakes or to inquire about purchasing high resolution photos of these plants. Creeping Buttercup: Ranunculus repens. Creeping buttercup is native to Europe, Asia, and northwestern Africa, but widely naturalized around the world and sometimes mildly invasive, especially in pastures with perennially moist soil. Photographed in New Zealand . Creeping Buttercup: Ranunculus repens. The plant can form dense patches that crowd out other species, but seldom take over entire pastures. Ranunculus sp. Buttercup. Ranunculus glaberrimus. Sagebrush Buttercup. Tobacco Root Mountains. Pony, Montana. Ranunculus glaberrimus. Sagebrush Buttercup. Tobacco Root Mountains. Pony, Montana. Ranunculus aquatilis. Water Buttercup. Ranunculus aquatilis. Water Buttercup. Southwestern Montana. Ranunculus sp. Buttercup.

Ranunculus sp. Buttercup. Lake Powell, Utah. Thalictrum occidentale. Meadow Rue. Aconitum columbianum. Western Monkshood, also known as Columbian Monkshood. Aconitum columbianum. Western Monkshood. Aconitum columbianum. Western Monkshood. Flowers can be blue or cream-colored. Aconitum columbianum. Western Monkshood, also known as Columbian Monkshood. Delphinium sp. Larkspur Delphinium. Lewisa and Clark Caverns State Park, Montana. Delphinium bicolor. Larkspur Delphinium. Tobacco Root Mountains. Pony, Montana. Delphinium occidentale. Western Larkspur. Delphinium occidentale. Western Larkspur with Bumblebee. Bridger Mountains. Near Bozeman, Montana. Delphinium sp. White Larkspur. Delphinium sp. White Larkspur. Chatfield State Park. Denver, Colorado. Aquilegia jonesii. Jone's Columbine. Photographed in the Big Snowy Mountains of Montana.

Aquilegia jonesii. Jone's Columbine. Photographed in the Big Snowy Mountains of Montana. Aquilegia flavescens. Yellow Columbine. Tobacco Root Mountains. Pony, Montana. Aquilegia flavescens. Yellow Columbine. Helleborus viridis. Green Hellebore. Native to central and western Europe. Helleborus viridis. Green Hellebore. Photographed in Italy. There are more 3-COMMON BUTTERCUPS - DALS WILDLIFE SITE { WILDLIFE OF NORTHERN ENGLAND} DALS WILDLIFE SITE { WILDLIFE OF NORTHERN ENGLAND} A look at three of our commonest buttercups-Creeping, Meadow and Bulbous. The creeping buttercup Ranunculus repens. photo-Dal Creeping buttercup, Ranunculus repens. This tenacious perennial is capable of withstanding trampling, compacting, water logging and even moderate drought, making it a formidable foe for the gardener. the flower is familiar to all gardeners, adults and children alike.

It is a native perennial found in a variety of locations such as deciduous woodland, cultivated land,dunes, grassland,heath land, hedgerows meadows, river banks, roadsides, scrub, short turf, wasteland and as a garden weed. The plant spreads by means of stolons {creeping runners} that root at the nodes producing new plants. The species name of repens alludes to this {related to reptile, creeping,crawling}. The flowering stems are erect and leafy,hairy and grooved. The foliage of the hairy basal leaves are long stalked cut into three toothed segments. The familiar flowers consist of five deep yellow glossy petals. Beneath the petals are five sepals which are hairy and clasp the petals from below. The flowers which some times turn white as they fade are succeeded by the fruits which are smooth achenes with short beaks which are grouped together in a globular head. They flower from May until August. Below--the distinctive foliage of the creeping buttercup photo-Dal Basic Biology of the creeping buttercup. Although the stolons {runners} are the main reproduction organs of the species they do vary a great deal in their performance according to habitat factors.

For instance some plants are capable of spreading their stolons widely while others tend to be relatively short and compact. The flowers are insect pollinated but not all flowers produce seed. Those that grow in disturbed habitats such as garden cultivated garden borders or allotments the plant relies more heavily on seed production /germination in order to spread, rather than by relying on stolon reproduction. Studies have revealed that seed germination may occur throughout the year, however, the main bulk of germination seems to emerge from March to July and again from August to October. The creeping buttercup has a swollen stem base and adventitious roots { growing directly from the stem}. The foliage of the creeping buttercup over winter in the form of small rosettes. In spring new foliage develops and just prior to flowering, buds low down in the rosette, grow out into stolons that root at the nodes, thus the cycle begins over again, Stolon production continues into late summer. Thankfully as far as the gardener is concerned any that occur in short grassland are relatively easy to dig out.

However, in the ground that has not been disturbed such as on waste/or neglected land where they have become well established they are more of a challenge, requiring much more labour to eradicate them. Buttercups flowering in May photo-Dal The seeds of the creeping buttercup--- The seeds of the creeping buttercup are eaten by partridges, pheasants and wood pigeons. Geese,chickens and rabbits are known to eat the foliage. They are the most common of the buttercups to occur in the U.K. and are particularly common in the north of England and especially so in the north west where the wet climate is beneficial to their requirements. Meadow buttercup-Ranunculus acris. This species is often referred to as the tall buttercup which aptly describes this Ranunculus family member, which grows to the height of between 20-90cm. It is erect in habit,hairy and a perennial rootstock. from this arise basal leaves which are long stalked and deeply divided into 3-7 deeply cut and toothed lobes. the stem leaves are short stalked with the upper most foliage on the stem stalk-less and lack teeth.

Below--the deeply cut foliage of the meadow buttercup. photo-Dal Ranunculus acris The yellow flowers 14-25mm wide have 5 glossy bright yellow petals. the sepals are yellowish green clasping the petals from below. the sepals soon fall away when the flowers open. The flowers which occur on the tips of branches are succeeded by a cluster of oval achenes which have short, hooked beaks. The main flowering period is from May until August in the north of England. Meadow buttercup photo-Dal Meadow buttercup--- The sap of the meadow buttercup is a skin irritant and can cause blisters. Unlike the former species this species is not tolerant of being trampled, and likes to frequent damp meadow land where the water table is high, but it is also found in open woods. The flowers may well be encountered as late as October and are visited by a number of pollinating insects. the peak period for the fruits is May to August. Most seeds start to emerge from January until April. After flowering the summer foliage dies and the plant passes the winter in the form of a rosette composed of small leaves which seem to be unaffected by frost.

The species relies mainly on seed germination for reproduction although they do have short rhizome. Because the rhizome is so short vegetative reproduction is very limited. they lack the stolons of the former species. This is probably the second most common buttercup in the U.K. Meadow redolent of these golden blooms. photo-dal Bulbous buttercup,Ranunculus bulbosus Finally we review the bulbous buttercup which is very similar to the creeping buttercup in appearance. However, the base of the plant has a much more pronounced bulb like swelling from which it takes its common name. They do not produce stolons {runners} They attain the height of between 10-40cm the stem foliage are stalk-less. The flowers are also similar to those of the creeping buttercup having five golden yellow petals, however, the sepals beneath the petals are not clasping and in fact turn back towards the stem which is one of the main identifying features when the species is in flower. Unlike the creeping buttercup this species delights to grow in dry grassland, especially on lime rich soils. They also grow in meadows, pastures church yards and on sand dunes.

They are more common on the eastern side of northern England than they are on the wetter western side.They are widespread through out the country. In Scotland and Ireland they tend to located as a coastal species. They flower from April until June. The bulb like swelling of the bulbous buttercup is evident in this photograph courtesy of H.Zell { Creative Commons Share Alike} ASSOCIATED PAGES-Click on the content banners on the right hand side of this page. LESSER CELANDINE. WILD HERB ADVISE. Other flora featured on this site may be viewed by clicking on the individual content banners. {they are all grouped together} My green logos { designers}

Question: 'Ranunculus' is the species name of which common wild flower?
Answer: BUTTERCUP